This is because a sedentary person who has a great deal
of capital and has acquired a great number of estates and farms and
become one of the wealthiest inhabitants of a particular city, who is
looked upon as such and lives in great luxury and is accustomed to
luxury, competes in this respect with amirs and rulers. The latter
become jealous of him. The aggressiveness that is natural to human
beings makes them cast their eyes upon his possessions. They envy him
them and try every possible trick to catch him in the net of a
government decision and to find an obvious reason for punishing him, so
as to confiscate his property. Government decisions are as a rule
unjust, because pure justice is found only in the legal caliphate that
lasted only a short while. Muhammad said: "The caliphate after me will
last thirty years; then, it will revert to being tyrannical royal
authority."
128

Therefore, the owner of property and conspicuous wealth
in a given civilization (community) needs a protective force to defend
him, as well as a rank
128aon which he may rely.
(This purpose may be met by) a person related to the ruler, or a close
friend of (the ruler), or a group feeling that the ruler will respect.
129In its
shade, he may rest and live peacefully, safe from hostile attacks. If he
does not have that, he will find himself robbed by all kinds of tricks
and legal pretexts.